Congratulations to the 2011 finalists for the National Book Award (Young People’s Literature):

My Name is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson (Marshall Cavendish);

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai (HarperCollins);

Flesh and Blood So Cheap by Albert Marrin (Knopf);

Shine by Lauren Myracle (Amulet)(UPDATE: withdrawn by author at NBF request);

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt (Clarion);

Chime by Franny Billingsley (Dial).

Cynsational Notes

Vermont College of Fine Arts Applauds Alumna Lauren Myracle from PR Newswire. Peek: “‘We are so proud of our faculty and alumnae,’ said VCFA President Thomas Christopher Greene. ‘All three books are deserving of attention, but we are especially proud of Lauren – for her grace, for her professionalism, and for her unswerving dedication to her many readers. We stand firmly behind her and the difficult decision she has made.'”

For more information, see also National Book Awards Announced by Carolyn Kellogg from The L.A. Times.